Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones are valuable scientific instruments in Antarctica but are not toys for tourists. That’s the ruling from the latest meeting of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). For the upcoming 2015-2016 season, the IAATO members have agreed not to allow the recreational use of drones in the coastal areas of Antarctica. …
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The number of tourists to Antarctica for the 2015/2016 season is expected to be the second largest in history with 40,029 visitors. The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) reports only the 2007/2008 season had higher numbers with 46,265 people. …
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In this podcast, we speak to Michael Smith about Tom Crean and his heroic exploits in Antarctica during three of the great polar expeditions, under the leadership of Scott and Shackleton. …
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Icebergs are created when large chunks of freshwater ice break off Antarctic ice shelves or glaciers and calve into the Southern Ocean. To be classified as an iceberg, the ice extruding from the water must be at least five metres above sea level, be between 30-50 metres thick, and must cover an area of at least 500 square meters. Icebergs can have a direct effect on the sea bed, scouring the seafloor where it makes contact.
But who monitors icebergs? And how big can they get? …
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Peter Beggs of Antarctica New Zealand talks about his countries long-standing commitment to science research on the ice, and the permanent station on Ross Island, Scott Base, established in 1957. …
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This conference brought together international experts and NZ’s leading policy makers, scientists and industry representatives, to showcase adaptation strategies for managing sea level rise in NZ. …
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An irreversible inflow of warm water under the ice shelf could begin within the next few decades, according to climate researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute.

New research suggests that rising air temperatures above the Weddell Sea could set off a self-amplifying meltwater feedback cycle under the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in the second half of the century. If this happens, the second-largest ice shelf in the Antarctic could shrink dramatically.

Researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) used an ice-ocean model to decode the oceanographic and physical processes that could lead to an irreversible inflow of warm water under the ice shelf. This phenomenon has already been observed in the Amundsen Sea.

The surrounding sea ice has a telling impact on the great Antarctic ice shelves. The amount of salt released as the sea ice forms, creates a protective sheath of extremely salty water that protects the shelf from the inflow of warmer water.

The simulations run at the AWI show that this cold-water barrier could be permanently lost over the next few decades, as a result of rising air temperatures over the Weddell Sea that slow the formation of sea ice.

These comparatively small-scale changes may mark the beginning of a fundamental and irrevocable transformation in the southern Weddell Sea.

An irreversible inflow of warm water under the ice shelf could begin within the next few decades, according to climate researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute

New research suggests that rising air temperatures above the Weddell Sea could set off a self-amplifying meltwater feedback cycle under the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in the second half of the century. If this happens, the second-largest ice shelf in the Antarctic could shrink dramatically.

Researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) used an ice-ocean model to decode the oceanographic and physical processes that could lead to an irreversible inflow of warm water under the ice shelf. This phenomenon has already been observed in the Amundsen Sea.

The surrounding sea ice has a telling impact on the great Antarctic ice shelves. The amount of salt released as the sea ice forms, creates a protective sheath of extremely salty water that protects the shelf from the inflow of warmer water.

The simulations run at the AWI show that this cold-water barrier could be permanently lost over the next few decades, as a result of rising air temperatures over the Weddell Sea that slow the formation of sea ice.

These comparatively small-scale changes may mark the beginning of a fundamental and irrevocable transformation in the southern Weddell Sea.